The presently disclosed embodiments are directed to the field of vehicles such as passenger vans and mini-vans having power operated or power assist sliding doors, and particularly to control systems and methods of operating such sliding doors.
As far as is known, currently available passenger vans and mini-vans equipped with a power operated or power assist sliding door, do not permit the power slide door to open unless the vehicle is placed in “park” or “neutral.” And so, for instances in which a driver wishes to drive alongside a store entrance for example, and let a passenger in the rear exit the vehicle through the power slide door, the driver must drive the vehicle to the intended location and then put the vehicle in park or neutral in order for the sliding door to then be opened and allow the passenger to exit. As will be appreciated, requiring the vehicle to be in park or neutral is a result of safety concerns. Although such current door configurations are satisfactory in many regards, it would be desirable to enable a power slide door to be safely opened without putting the vehicle in park or neutral, so that the vehicle could be left in “drive” for example.
In addition, for such scenarios in which a driver wishes to let a passenger in the vehicle rear to exit, it is typically desired to enable the passenger to quickly open the door. However, in current vehicle door operations, in order to initiate a powered opening of the door, either the driver or the passenger must locate the associated switch or actuator, which may not be near the door, and activate powered opening of the door. This is then followed by some time period during which the door transitions from its fully closed position until the door has opened a distance sufficient for the passenger to exit through. Again, although satisfactory in many respects, it would be desirable to provide a sliding door configuration in which a powered operation of the door could be readily initiated, and which enabled the door to be rapidly opened, particularly regardless of the transmission state of the vehicle.
The prior art describes numerous strategies for the control and operation of vehicle sliding doors. U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,158 to Long et al. is directed to a power door control system for a vehicle sliding door. The '158 patent describes a conventional control methodology in which powered operation of a sliding door is enabled only when the vehicle transmission is in park. The '158 patent also describes a mode of operation in which power movement of the sliding door can be initiated upon manually moving the door a predetermined distance. However, the '158 patent prefers that the door be configured so that the door may be manually opened a distance sufficient to allow a passenger to exit without initiating powered operation. In addition, the control scheme of the '158 patent, and particularly the manually initiated powered operation, all require that the vehicle be in park.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,877,280 describes a control method for a vehicle sliding door. The control method is said to address a problem in which the effects on door operation due to the vehicle accelerating are reduced. The '280 patent describes a powered closing of the door while the vehicle is moving. However, the '280 patent does not describe that the sliding door may be powered open while the vehicle is in a transmission state other than park.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,925,942 describes a requirement in the powered operation of vehicle sliding doors. The '942 patent is directed to a method of powered opening operation of a vehicle sliding door under conditions in which the vehicle is not necessarily in “Park” but the vehicle's brakes are engaged, and the vehicle is either stopped or moving at a speed of less than 3 km/hr. The '942 patent describes a problem that can arise if a powered opening operation is allowed under these conditions. That problem arises in situations in which a vehicle wheel locks up, yet the vehicle may still be moving. An example of such an occurrence is described as “quick braking.” The '942 patent provides a solution to this problem and describes a control scheme in which a powered opening of a vehicle door is not allowed if a sensed “decelerating state” is determined to correspond to an occurrence of “quick braking.”
US Patent Publication 2007/0132273 is directed to a problem involving power assist modes of door operation. The '273 publication describes that in certain instances, after an operator begins to manually open the door, sometimes power operation does not begin, such as in cold weather or if manufacturing tolerances are poor, see paragraphs [0004] and [0005]. The '273 publication also discloses that actuation of the door handle may initiate powered door opening operation, see [0007]. According to the '273 publication, upon this mode of manual to powered operation, powered operation begins after the door is manually released from its previously closed position and starts when the door speed is zero, i.e. manual movement of the door has stopped. After detection of such condition, the door motor is energized to initiate powered opening of the door. This is said to assist in opening the door in icy conditions. The '273 publication also describes that if the door does not open after initiation of powered operation, then the door motor is reversed to close the door.
The collective teachings of the prior art repeatedly instruct that powered operation of a vehicle sliding door should only occur when the vehicle is either in park or neutral. In fact, the background section of one patent (the '942 patent) suggests that such operation may even be mandated, “[i]n . . . . North America . . . door operation is prohibited except when the shift lever of the automatic transmission is positioned at the parking position.” However, several disclosures, such as in the '280 patent, describe powered door closing operations while the vehicle is moving. And as noted, a disclosure (in the '942 patent) suggests a mode of powered opening of a vehicle door when the vehicle is not in park so long as the brakes are engaged and the vehicle speed is less than 3 km/hr.
Although satisfactory in numerous respects, the prior art does not provide a vehicle sliding door configuration in which the door may be safely opened while the vehicle is stopped and in a transmission state other than park or neutral. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a control system and method of operation in which a vehicle powered sliding door could be safely opened while a vehicle is stopped, regardless of the transmission state of the vehicle.
In addition, although satisfactory in many regards, the prior art does not provide a configuration for a vehicle sliding door in which a powered operation can be easily initiated and which enables a rear passenger to quickly exit the vehicle through the door opening. Thus, a need exists for a control system and method of operation for a vehicle sliding door providing this, and particularly without regard to the transmission state of the vehicle.